Ron, a life-long resident of Vineland, received his early education locally, in public and private schools. After high school graduation, he spent a year at Columbia Bible College in B. C. before attending university. Summer employment entailed working on farms, in retail and in the construction industry. Delivering building materials for many summers was a welcome change from the classroom setting.
Ron completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University, receiving a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1971. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1976 after receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University in 1974.
Since 1976 Ron has practised law in St. Catharines. His early years were focused primarily on real estate law, including purchases, sales and refinancing in a firm which also provided exclusive legal services to a local credit union. His practice expanded to the area of business and corporate law, including organizational planning, sales and purchases. Ron also enjoys writing wills, powers of attorney and assisting with the legal aspects of estate administration. Estate law is a growth area. These are challenging areas of practice, as laws change in response to the growth of technology, the increase of fraud and identity theft, and the aging population.
Ron advises clients to obtain legal advice prior to signing contracts to avoid surprises. Trying to get out of a deal after it is signed will be much more costly than obtaining advice prior to signing.
Currently, Ron is an active member of New Hope Church Niagara. He has also been involved in education for many years as a past director and Treasurer of the Education Foundation of Niagara, past Chair of the Eden Advisory Board, a past board member of Camp Crossroads, a former Trustee with the District School Board of Niagara and former chair of the Board of Eden Christian College. Ron also coached his children in co-ed baseball and house league hockey in Jordan.
After office hours Ron’s recreational highlights include reading, time spent with his family on vacation, golfing with his sons and friends, boating and swimming with his grandchildren.